Electric coupling.



No. 820,604. PATENTBD MAY 15, 1900. 0. SGHALLER.

ELECTRIC GOUPLING APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1905.

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ELECTRIC GOUPLING APPLIOATION IILBD JUNE 1, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIon.

OTTO SOHALLER, OF STEGLITZ,'NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY,-ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRMOF JULIUS PINTSOH, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC COUPLING.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed June 1,1905. Serial No. 263,211.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO SCHALLER, a subject of the King of Prussia,German Emperor, and a resident of Steglitz, near Berlin, Prussia,Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricCouplings, of which the following is a description.

The present invention relates to electric couplings and it consists ofasingle-pole coupling for connecting up the conductors between railwayand other cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a coupling which can behandled by any ordinary workman without the slightest danger, and thisis attained by making the two coupling halves in the form ofhermetically sealed or closed housings, having each an exteriorcontact-piece, which is, however, devoid of current as long as thecoupling halves are out of engagement, but which when the halves areconnected together by means of the known bayonet-clutch thereon isconnected up to the line-wires by mechanism inside the said housings andinaccessible from the eX- terior.

In order to render the present specification easily intelligible,reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar lettersof reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows the two halves of the coupling in engagement, the lowerhalf being in longitudinal vertical section along the center line of thesame. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one half, and Fig. 3 a cross-sectionthrough one half on the line A B of Fig. 2, showing the interior contactin engagement, whileI Fig. i is a similar cross-section showing theparts out of engagement.

The coupling consists of the housings a and Z), which maybe connectedtogether by means of the bayonet-clutches c and c', this clutch beingsimilar to the known clutches used in connection with the air-brake,steam-heating, gas, and other plants. The two halves of the coupling areexactly alike in every respect, so that the description of one willenable the invention to be clearly understood. The cable d leads intothe housing Z) and is connected up to a contact-plate e, which isinsulated from a downwardly-hanging carrieryoke g, forming the upperpart of the housing, and the bearing-rim for the diaphragm m, of anysuitable material, which diaphragm must,

however, be movable. A contact-piece Z is fixed to thevcenter of thediaphragm, or thereabout, and is screwed or otherwise fixed todownwardly-extending curved arms n n within the housing. These arms areinsulatedat r from the central downwardly-extending part of thecontact-piece Z, which eX- tension s carries a cross-pin Zt for thepurpose hereinafter set forth. The insulated plate e hasdownwardly-extendin plates j', slotted at f to receive the ends of thepin Zt, and to these plates are pivoted at o o two outwardlyextendinglever-arms 'Z c', connected up by means of a spring y', having thetendency to pull their outer ends toward each other. A strong spring Z:is mounted within the yoke g and insulated therefrom, the said springbearing against the under side of the part Z and holding it in theposition shown in Fig. iwhen the coupling is disengaged. This spring isadvantageously so strong that it cannot be compressed by hand by theworkman, and even if this were possible no danger could arise, since thecoupling is a single-pole coupling.

The device operates' in the following manner: When the bayonet-clutchesof the two coupling halves are in engagement, as shown at Fig. l, thesprings ZC of each half will be depressed, and the pin ZL willconsequently be lowered, turning up the outer ends of the arms i i ontheir pivots o o. At the same time the arms n n, being depressed withthe part Z, will contact with the ends of the arms i i and connect upthe conductors. In order to allow of proper contact of the arms n fn,Fig. 3, with the arms i i, the ends of the latter lever-arms. areprovided with Slots ZL', with which they engage over the pin ZL, so thatthe spring j will operate to pull the ends of the arms L i against andin contact with the arms n n, as will be readily understood.

Theinterior mechanism of the coupling might be varied in a great manyways without departing from the spirit of the present invention, themain thing being to effect the electrical connection within the closedhousing after the coupling halves have been placed together.

I claim as my inventionl. A coupling for electric conductors for railwayand other cars consisting of two similar single-pole coupling membershaving bayonet clutches, each member constituting a hermetically-sealedchamber having a projecting contact-piece normally devoid of current andmeans within each chamber for circuiting-in said contact-piece when thecoupling members are in engagement.

2. A coupling for electric conductors Vfor railway and other carsconsisting of two similar single-pole coupling members havingbayonet-clutches, each member constituting a hermetically-sealed chamberhaving a projecting contact-piece normally devoid of current a movablecontact within each chamber connected up to the line-wire and adapted toconnect with the projecting contact when the coupling members are inengagement.

3. A coupling for electric conductors for railway and other cars,consisting of two similar single-pole coupling members havingbayonet-clutches, each member constituting an hermetically-sealedchamber, having a movable face to Contact with the other member, acontact-piece projecting from said movable face a contact-piece withinthe chamber of each member adapted to complete the connection to theprojecting contact-piece, when the members are in engagement and means'for holding the inner and outer contacts apart on the disengagement ofthe members.

4. A .coupling for electric conductors for railway and other cars,consisting of two similar single-pole coupling members havingbayonet-clutches, each member constituting a hermetically-sealedchamber, having a movable face to contact with the other member, acontact-piece projecting 'from said movable face a contact-piece withinthe chamber of each member adapted to. complete the connection to theprojecting contact-piece, when the members are in engagement and astrong spring for holding the inner and. outer contacts apart on thedisengagement of the members.

In testimony whereof I a'l'lix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

OTTO SCHALLER.

l/Vitnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

